Guidelines

When re-piping a home overhead through an attic, it’s hard to know exactly where to drill each hole into the wall studs when you’re up there — even more so if you’re doing the job by yourself.

I use silver solder. When I’m downstairs, I simply push a piece of solder through the ceiling sheetrock at every location that I need to run my pipe inside a wall. This gives me a marker to find when I’m in the attic. The solder makes just a tiny hole.
Keith Holman
The Red Rooter
Broken Arrow, Okla.

Dried Out Quick

I always hated getting the water out of the toilet tank and bowl when performing a repair. No matter what I tried, it always seemed so time-consuming, and I would inevitably end up wet. I ended up buying a $9 battery-powered kerosene pump, and it works like a charm every time. It’s quick, quiet and, best of all, I don’t get wet.
Dan DiFabio
Reynolds Plumbing And Heating Inc.
Cranford, N.J.

Commonsense Physics

Trouble soldering a vertical pipe due to water trapped in the line? I try to keep handy in my soldering kit a 12-inch long piece of 3/8-inch copper tubing. With the pipe open, take the tube and insert it into the line. Place your finger over the end of the tube to capture the water in a vacuum and dump it in a bucket. After a few times the line should be dry enough to solder.
Ray Landry Jr.
Rodenhiser Plumbing Heating & AC
Holliston, Mass.

Send Us Your Tool Tips!

If you have an idea that has saved you time and money, Plumbing & Mechanical would like to share your tip with our readers. You can e-mail your idea directly to PM editor Steve Smith at smiths@bnpmedia.com, or mail it to him c/o PM, 1050 IL Route 83, Suite 200, Bensenville, IL 60106.

PM’s Tool Tips is sponsored by Ridge Tool Co. Reader tips chosen by our editors have a chance to win a RIDGID Tool Prize Package.